tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10747047699415994522018-05-02T06:58:00.326-04:00CatalystBloggerA blog about freelancing, web copywriting, and the writing life.Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-25524703680343978252012-03-30T08:06:00.000-04:002014-04-10T15:46:17.213-04:00Best of CatalystBlogger: Also, See You After April 9!I've got a vacation planned--I'm heading to France for ten days, leaving...yesterday! If everything goes well, I should be arriving in Paris around the time this blog post goes live. I'm looking forward to passing a romantic few days in the City of Lights, roaming around the French countryside, and spending time with someone very dear to me.
In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with a redux of some Catalystblogger posts you may have missed. Not my most high-profile posts, but ones I felt...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/uF5iOpXzji4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com1http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/best-of-catalystblogger-also-see-you.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-74829179176465054032012-03-28T08:52:00.000-04:002012-03-28T08:52:00.278-04:00What's the Weirdest Place You've Worked?I've been really, really busy lately. On top of a burgeoning freelance business--work has really picked up for me in the last few weeks--I'm finally starting to make some progress in acting (I originally started my freelancing business to have a flexible day job that would let me go to auditions--trying to earn a living while having an acting career can be brutal). I've been on a lot of auditions, photo shoots, and film shoots that have cut into the time I need to get freelancing work done....<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/NHoOyZ_WIt8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com3http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-weirdest-place-youve-worked.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-51567185382497010212012-03-26T08:41:00.000-04:002012-03-26T08:41:00.771-04:00Landing Ongoing ClientsFreelancing can be a feast-or-famine industry. Your earnings are great one month, not so great the next. Many people think the only alternative to that is a steady job. Not really. If you can land a few ongoing clients that give you steady work, you’ll have the best of both worlds. Ongoing clients give you financial stability similar to what you’d find at a steady job. And, true, you could lose any of your ongoing clients at any time—but you could lose your job at a company at any time, too....<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/2fbXnekcD04" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/landing-ongoing-clients.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-67583344483699619582012-03-19T08:23:00.001-04:002012-03-19T08:23:00.380-04:00Can Young America be Fixed?Did you know that about 16% of America’s youth (aged 16-24) are unemployed? Compared with the national unemployment rate, which is at 8.3% according to the most recent data, that’s a high number. There’s no question that young people bear a disproportionate burden in a bad economy—as the least experienced, they’re often the last hired, the first fired, and most likely to be taken advantage of with ridiculously low wages and reduced benefits. Add to that a heavy student debt load, and it’s not...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/TubGVrX2Iis" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/can-young-america-be-fixed.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-23225181949149924452012-03-14T19:28:00.000-04:002012-03-14T19:28:00.194-04:00Blogs I LoveI was going through my blog roll today to weed out links to dead blogs as well as re-introduce myself to some of my older favorites. If you get a chance to skim through my blog roll, here are a few links you should definitely click on--these come highly recommended.
Words on the Page. This is one of the blogs I visit every week. Lori's posts are uniformly well-written and thoughtful, and her approach to the business of writing is firm, fair, and level-headed. She also really has it together...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/AwInjrhIuc4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/blogs-i-love.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-21068022104681542532012-03-12T07:13:00.000-04:002014-04-10T15:47:38.902-04:00Things That Annoy Me on Blog SitesSo I regularly hang out at my favorite freelance writing blogs before writing my own blog posts--just to get a blogging mindset going and see what kinds of conversations are out there. There are so many blogs out there that I love, but sometimes I find myself getting annoyed while I do this--especially when venturing out of my trusted blog circle. Here are a few things that have me clicking the "back" button.
Anything that interrupts my reading. I tend to get annoyed when I head over to a...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/TNxk5NlfywY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com3http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/things-that-annoy-me-on-blog-sites.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-77685880324268195022012-03-09T09:50:00.000-05:002012-03-09T09:50:00.747-05:00Do You Work for Friends?I have a policy on working for family members and close friends. Only small projects, and only for free. I don't let close friends and family members pay me. That may be kind of a radical position to take, but for me it works.
The reason is that people expect different things from business associates than from friends. A good friend is supposed to always be supportive. When a friend doesn't pay you back, you're supposed to show some compassion and let it slide. That's not how business...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/oz7R9HSm3Qs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com1http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/do-you-work-for-friends.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-87321721951857284132012-03-07T09:39:00.000-05:002012-03-07T09:39:00.443-05:00Everyone’s Marketing Fingerprint is DifferentOver at Words on the Page, Lori Widmer brings up something I’ve been meaning to write about ever since I had a conversation with a friend about getting into freelancing—the marketing routine, and why it’s tough to tell someone else how to market their business. He asked me the best way to get started, but really, what he wanted to know was where and how to find work (which is a whole different question). I always have such a hard time answering that question. There are so many ways to market...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/IHZhAzkZPTw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/everyones-marketing-fingerprint-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-51799994191476259232012-03-05T08:38:00.000-05:002012-03-05T08:38:00.040-05:00Careful Who You RecommendWhen clients come to me with requests for services besides copywriting, I don't recommend just anyone. Fair or not, I'm aware that who I recommend will reflect in some small way on me--and I wouldn't want to be associated with a negative experience in a client's mind, even if I wasn't the one giving it. I also don't want to look like I don't have the client's best interests at heart--it's possible the client could suspect I recommended someone inexperienced just to help them out, rather than...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/FtUE3R430IA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/careful-who-you-recommend.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-82466582893486322582012-03-02T07:23:00.000-05:002012-03-02T07:23:01.011-05:00Is Copywriting an Ideal Day Job for Creative Writers?I was at a party the other night. Drinks were flowing, music was pumping…and I was talking to someone about my job. Yeah, I do that sometimes. I love talking about my job, even at parties when everyone else there is working hard at forgetting their jobs. This is what happens when you quit doing stuff you hate and finally (finally!) make money doing something you love.
I came to copywriting as a creative person looking for a day job. All I wanted was steady, flexible employment that wouldn’t...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/DZlpqI8V0yo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com0http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/is-copywriting-ideal-day-job-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-47815131737301125702012-02-29T07:22:00.000-05:002012-02-29T07:22:00.388-05:00Fair Markups or Price Gouging—When is it Okay to Charge More?If you’ve done your homework in establishing rates, chances are you have a basic minimum rate below which you know it isn’t worth your time to take a project on. But do you have a maximum rate? When do you raise your rates beyond that—if you do?
In this blog post, I’m not discussing raising your rates in general. I’m talking about specific instances when it’s fair to charge one client more than another for the same amount of work. Here are a few instances where you may think about charging...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/B6GfKxbmYYw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/fair-markups-or-price-gougingwhen-is-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-82527030689295056962012-02-27T07:21:00.000-05:002012-02-27T07:21:00.450-05:00When a Client Wants More Than CopywritingSometimes a client needs more than your words. Sometimes they need graphic design, keyword research, SEO, media placement, or one of a wide range of other services that often go hand-in-hand with copywriting. If you offer these services, great—work them into your existing project.
But what if you don’t offer the extra service the client wants? You have several options, each with its own pluses and drawbacks. Here’s an overview of your possible responses:
“No, I don’t offer that service.”...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/6ORsPzmdybA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/when-client-wants-more-than-copywriting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-6562176729395344632012-02-24T08:57:00.001-05:002012-02-26T19:05:36.789-05:00Content vs. CopyI think the word “content” when applied to writing is a bit misleading. The way it’s used, it implies a commodity—like writers are just sitting on content warehouses and can just offer bulk rates on their inventories and still make a profit. No matter how much the web tries to commoditize writing, content-writing is still a service—content is not a product. But that’s another blog post. What I’m mainly concerned with today is content vs. copy—and the difference between these two...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/ZUJ8sCYPiSo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com3http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/content-vs-copy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-40478921792633257832012-02-22T08:56:00.001-05:002012-02-26T19:05:56.466-05:00Dealing With Requests for Free CopyLike a lot of freelancers, I do have a friends-and-family discount. Very few people in my life get completely free copywriting and editing help, no questions asked—but there are a handful of people I do that for. Close family. Close friends. My boyfriend. People like that. People who’d do anything for me, and people I’d do anything for—including write for free, anytime.
There are other people who fall into a gray area. A casual friend who mentions he’s setting up a website and starts to get...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/EyJgawy3HFs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com0http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/dealing-with-requests-for-free-copy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-42384289998613742862012-02-20T08:55:00.003-05:002012-02-26T19:06:12.581-05:00The Conversation on Getting StartedI was having lunch with a friend recently. I asked him how his job was going—not good, apparently. After telling me a few hair-raising stories about his boss and coworkers, my friend told me something I’ve been hearing a lot of lately—“really, I want to be doing what you’re doing.” And then it came—the “how can I get started?” question.
I get that question a lot. From friends and strangers alike. It’s a question I’ve gotten a bit frustrated with in the past, as I feel like the answer is...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/FanuXXaVvEE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com4http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/conversation-on-getting-started.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-76570226166607115592012-02-17T08:22:00.001-05:002012-02-26T19:06:29.247-05:00Twitter: How Has it Helped You?I have to admit—I haven’t quite gotten the hang of microblogging. I’ve made some stabs at Twitter in the past, but generally lost interest when I felt like I didn’t have any particularly interesting 160-character thoughts to share that day. But as part of my New Years resolutions (yes, it’s February and I’m still talking about those), I’m trying to get better about social media—and making a stronger effort with Twitter is one way I’m doing that.
Anyway, I just read a really interesting...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/Ynp_FwyLZuQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/twitter-how-has-it-helped-you.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-15055956579254464932012-02-15T08:21:00.000-05:002012-02-15T08:21:00.275-05:00Reasons People Criticize Your Writing—That Have Nothing to Do With Your WritingI have a lot of friends who don’t write for a living, but who still write a lot in the context of their jobs. And I frequently hear them complain that the feedback they get from coworkers, bosses, and stakeholders in their writing is excessively critical and demoralizing. It’s a frustration I can definitely relate to. And as someone who does this as my day job, I’ve had to develop a very thick skin.
The thing is, sometimes the criticism is warranted. Sometimes there is definite room for...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/hGfsFYIhtKw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/reasons-people-criticize-your.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-25425890069917567532012-02-13T08:21:00.000-05:002012-02-13T08:21:00.644-05:00Defending Your PricesI used to avoid any potential job where the client stated prices up front that were too low. I would just not apply to the job, or I’d let the project go without any objection. There was plenty of work out there that paid well, and I didn’t want to waste my time.
It occurred to me at one point, though, that negotiation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—and some of these lower prices represent what the client ideally wants to pay, not what he or she is ultimately willing to pay. I started...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/g0aKrvOzKmM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/defending-your-prices.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-33291594804194800912012-02-10T08:42:00.000-05:002012-02-10T08:42:00.249-05:00Do You Do Craigslist?Just saw a post over at Avid Writer on Craigslist. I've had good and bad experiences on Craigslist. I've posted ads there--particularly for resume writing--and I've also applied to Craigslist job ads. But I spend a lot less time over there these days than I used to. Craigslist is crawling with ads promising exposure in place of pay, telling you "this would be a great job for a student or work-at-home mom" (why? Because students and work-at-home moms don't need money?), and generally trying to...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/4G-EFiGFdRA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com4http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/do-you-do-craigslist.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-8292028084839473682012-02-08T08:01:00.000-05:002012-02-08T08:01:00.169-05:00Things I Could Do BetterI'm a weird beast--I actually love New Years Resolutions. I loved them even in the days when I used to forget all about them within the first two months of a new year. I loved making lists--I'm a bit of a list junkie. In 2011, one thing I did differently with my life was actually stick to my resolutions--and I made discernible progress in some things. I really liked that. I think I'll try to make it a habit.
So I have a lot of resolutions for my creative stuff--novels, acting, and so on. But I...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/jjALVGcXGDo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/things-i-could-do-better.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-84405885291788865962012-02-06T08:23:00.002-05:002012-02-06T08:23:00.650-05:00On Coming Back From the DeadSo, if you've been a regular reader of this blog in the past, you've probably noticed that I kinda skipped the whole year of 2011.
It's something I could be kicking myself for now. After all, isn't this the cardinal sin of blogging? If just not posting regularly is bad, think of how bad it is to evaporate for 12 months or more...no word of explanation, no goodbyes, no nothing. And before I disappeared, this blog was doing pretty well. It was popular, it had garnered some industry attention,...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/MpgJpVoDIaA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com0http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-coming-back-from-dead.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-46870836054542247682012-02-03T11:44:00.000-05:002012-02-03T11:44:00.068-05:00The Barter System: What do You Trade For?I love the barter system. And I've gotten a lot of valuable things from it. In the past few years, I got a swanky overhaul on my freelance writing website by bartering for freelance work. I also got a great deal on a really expensive acting class through bartering--I now write the occasional press release for the company for free. Throughout the years, I've bartered for business advice, restaurant meals, and even (once) health care.
Freelance writers can definitely get discounts and freebies...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/HdEdw33LZgk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com0http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/barter-system-what-do-you-trade-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-29985924312476600222012-02-01T11:12:00.001-05:002012-02-02T23:28:26.891-05:00Resumes: Do Freelancers Need Them?I came across a post on Words On the Page about resumes. Namely: do freelancers need them? Lori expands the definition of "resume" to include websites, brochures, and other documents about your business and writing background--but I'm going to stick with the traditional definition of a resume here. And I'm going to take a middle-of-the-road tack on this. My answer is, pretty much, no. Usually not. Until someone asks for one.
I got through most of my freelance writing career without an...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/3bw-VLDu3J4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com4http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/02/resumes-do-freelancers-need-them.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-92140601943049983592012-01-30T11:05:00.002-05:002012-02-02T23:52:06.214-05:00Getting Back in the SwingRight, so how long has it been?
…Yeah. Pretty long.
So, apologies to my followers that I dropped out of blogging for such a length of time. New York City will do that to you sometimes, but I missed blogging here, and one of my New Years resolutions was to come back.
So what have I been up to?
First of all, massive amounts of freelance writing work. My work schedule picked up a considerable amount after landing a few new clients, which was wonderful—but it meant my morning blogging habit...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/Nuw-4IEhOP0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com2http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2012/01/getting-back-in-swing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074704769941599452.post-42673953735278503952010-11-30T09:40:00.002-05:002010-11-30T09:57:12.210-05:00Types of BeginningsI was recently asked by a friend of mine how to get started in freelancing. This is such a common question--and, to be honest, frustrating to answer--because there are so many ways people get started. However, thinking about it, I realized that most people I know who are currently full-time freelancers got a start in one of four ways:
The formerly-worked-for-an-advertising-company freelancer. To a lot of people, those who start off in advertising seem to have the advantage. It's assumed they...<br/>
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This is an excerpt only. Visit my website for the full story!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Catalystblogger/~4/qfLIiFEOD7U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Jennifer Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18112503206612979793noreply@blogger.com6http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/2010/11/types-of-beginnings.html